For Immediate Release
June 18, 2003

Global Message

From remarks by Ambassador Bremer, Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority to Iraq, 6/17/03

Security and rebuilding the economy to provide real jobs remain key priorities in Iraq.

A group of Iraqi businessmen and women, economists, and politicians are advising the coalition on ways to revitalize the economy.

Next week, Ambassador Bremer and advisors will attend the World Economic Forum in Jordan, where they will discuss rehabilitating the economy with international economic and political leaders.

Also next week, a number of senior Iraqi civil servants will be leading a delegation to a donor conference for Iraq, hosted by the UN in New York.

These two delegations will symbolize Iraq's reentry into the international community. For the first time in years, Iraqis will be able to freely participate in international discussions about ways to reverse the chronic economic mismanagement of their country.

The coalition remains focused on security in Iraq. Coalition military and the Iraqi police force continue to arrest senior members of the old regime, and those who are trying to derail Iraq's reconstruction.

The new Iraqi Police Force is being equipped and trained, and a management training course for senior police officers will begin.

The Iraqi Judicial College has been rebuilt and the Judicial Review Committee has been created. This committee will review every judge and prosecutor in Iraq in order to establish a justice system run by people of integrity.

IRAQ HUMANITARIAN AND RECONSTRUCTION UPDATE
From USAID reports

In March, the U.S. government deployed a multi-agency Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to Iraq to assess and respond to humanitarian needs and to help coordinate the emergency relief effort.

According to the Ministry of Trade, more than three million people in Baghdad have received or will soon receive food baskets.

According to DART, 3,755 metric tons of food were delivered in Babil, and 19,295 metric tons were distributed in Al Basrah. In Maysan, 5,744 metric tons were distributed and in Al Muthanna, about 4,820 metric tons were distributed. Public distributions are proceeding in both Kirkuk and Mosul.

UNICEF has dispatched teams of workers to fix blocked sewage lines and clean up piles of refuse in many parts of Baghdad, where more than 1.5 million people have benefited from UNICEF's services.

USAID and its private sector partners have identified 18 schools in low-income communities in Al Basrah for reconstruction and refurbishment. They proposed that the school reconstruction begin in the next few weeks.

The target date for opening the Baghdad International Airport is July 1. USAID private sector partner, Skylink, is mobilizing the local Iraqi labor force to get many of the basic functions in the terminal - such as water and electricity - up and running.